Common Questions About Licensing & Real Estate Careers in North Carolina

• Complete 75 Hours of Approved Broker Pre-Licensing Education. First, you must complete a 75-Hour Broker Pre-Licensing course. You can complete this education 100% online and in as little as two weeks (when treated like a 40-hour work week).
• Pass the Broker Pre-Licensing Course Final Exam. After completing the Broker Pre-Licensing course, you’ll need to pass the final exam. North Carolina requires this exam to be proctored. Learn more about the online proctoring process.
• Complete the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) Broker License Application. Next, you must apply for your North Carolina Provisional Broker license. You’ll complete your application via NCREC’s online portal. During the application period, you’ll also need to complete a background check.
• Pass the NCREC Real Estate License Exam. Once your Broker license application and background check is approved, you’ll need to pass the NCREC Real Estate License Exam. You’ll receive a Notice of Exam Eligibility by e-mail. You’ll have 180 days to take the exam at a Pearson VUE testing facility.
• Choose a Sponsoring Broker. To be an active Provisional Broker in North Carolina, you must be under the supervision of a current Broker-in-Charge through a real estate brokerage or a sole proprietor. Use these tips to find the ideal broker as you begin your real estate career.

You must take and pass 75 course hours from an approved education provider to get a Provisional Broker license in North Carolina. If you treat your education like a 40-hour workweek, you can finish your education in as little as two weeks.

Once you complete your education, you’ll find that your next steps – including completing your NCREC application and scheduling your exam – can be completed on your own timeline. Many North Carolina brokers complete the entire process in just a few months.

A Provisional Broker license is the entry-level real estate broker license that real estate agents start with in North Carolina. Provisional Brokers can work as agents and sell homes. However, they must work under a Broker-In-Charge (aka sponsoring broker) who oversees all transactions. The Broker-In-Charge will help you train and grow as a Provisional Broker as you gain experience in the industry.

To remove your provisional status and become a non-provisional North Carolina broker, you must complete a required 90 hours of Post-Licensing coursework within 18 months of initial licensure.

• Your Pre-Licensing education in North Carolina ranges in cost from $675 to $1295, depending on the package you purchase.
• The initial license and new application fee for a North Carolina Provisional Broker license is $100.
• The criminal background check fee is $50.
• The North Carolina Provisional Broker exam fee (through Pearson VUE) is $60 for the 2-part comprehensive exam, or $50 for a single exam section.

Find out more detailed info at the NCREC’s Licensing FAQs page.

According to NCREC license law, you must be at least 18 years of age to apply for your North Carolina Provisional Broker license.

The state of North Carolina has a Character and Fitness Review process that all Provisional Broker applicants must complete. The purpose of this process is "to ensure an applicant possesses the requisite character and fitness necessary to protect the public interest and promote public confidence in the real estate brokerage business.”

All Provisional Broker license applicants are required to undergo a criminal background check via North Carolina’s online portal. Any criminal background check issues will be referred to the NCREC’s Regulatory Affairs Division for a comprehensive character and fitness review. More detailed info on the evaluation process can be found here.

North Carolina does not have a formal reciprocity arrangement with other states.

However, those who hold an equivalent real estate license in another state — provided it has been active within the last three years — can apply to waive some licensing requirements. These may include the 75-hour pre-licensing education requirement and the requirement to pass the national section of the real estate license examination.

Reciprocity rules and exceptions are outlined in detail here and covered in our Real Estate License Reciprocity and Portability Guide.

To renew and maintain a North Carolina Provisional Broker, Non-Provisional Broker, and Broker-in-Charge license, you’ll need to complete 8 hours of CE coursework every 12 months. Brokers-in-Charge must complete the required 4-hour BIC Update CE Course as part of their 8 hours of CE per license cycle. Brokers must complete a required 4-hour General Update CE Course as part of their 8 hours of CE per license cycle. Learn more about the NCREC’s CE requirements.

The annual CE deadline for all brokers in North Carolina is June 10th. The license renewal deadline is June 30th annually.

All real estate schools are required to report CE course completions to the NCREC within 5-7 days following the course completion date. The CE Shop will report your course completions to the NCREC within this timeframe. You can also download a copy of your course completions from our website anytime.

First, you must complete all the steps to earn your North Carolina Provisional Broker license. You’ll need to be supervised by a Broker-in-Charge while you hold a Provisional Broker License.

Simultaneously, you’ll also want to begin working on North Carolina Post-Licensing coursework, which includes three 30-hour courses. Post-license education must be completed within the first 18 months after the Provisional Broker license was issued. Remember, Post-Licensing courses expire 180 days after the date of purchase. Completing 90 hours of Post-Licensing coursework removes the provisional status from your license and title.

According to NCREC license law, a non-provisional broker can engage in brokerage either as:

• an affiliated broker of a Broker-in-Charge (sponsoring or employer broker) of a real estate brokerage company (firm or sole proprietorship); or
• as an independent sole proprietor or entity. However, you must also earn the designation of Broker-in-Charge to lawfully engage in most brokerage activities independently.

See page 4 of the NCREC real estate license guide for more info.

As a non-provisional Broker in North Carolina, you can:

• Establish your own North Carolina real estate business (but, you must be associated with a Broker-in-Charge)
• Help clients sell, lease, and buy properties
• Become a property manager

In North Carolina, non-provisional brokers who work as sole proprietors must still be associated with a North Carolina Broker-in-Charge. Only North Carolina Brokers-in-Charge can establish their own real estate brokerages and hire other brokers.

The North Carolina Broker-in-Charge (BIC) designation is a third-tier license granted to a North Carolina broker who has done the following:

• Earned at least two years of full-time real estate brokerage experience within the previous five years
• Completed North Carolina’s 12-Hour Broker-in-Charge course within 1 year prior to or within 120 days after submitting the BIC application form.
• Satisfied the NCREC’s Broker-in-Charge requirements
• Submitted the NCREC’s BIC Designation Form

If you earn a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) designation, then yes! Once you’ve become BIC, you can do everything non-provisional brokers can do, plus:

• Establish and manage your own real estate brokerage firm
• Supervise and hire other brokers to work for you

Learn more about North Carolina’s Broker-in-Charge requirements and be sure to read the NCREC licensing guide.

According to Indeed, North Carolina brokers make over $75,000 per year on average. Get specifics on the current salary range here. Your salary level will depend on your experience, education, and license designation. North Carolina Brokers-in-Charge may earn more than non-provisional brokers.

Yes! Many brokers choose to only work part time, and for good reasons. You can sell properties full time to receive a high salary or sell just a few homes a year for extra pocket money.

To find a real estate brokerage to work for in North Carolina, you can:

• Search Online: Conduct an online search looking for real estate brokers in your area. In general, brokers are looking for new agents and will be happy to talk to you.
• Talk to Other Agents: Get advice from other agents in your area!
• Consider an Online Brokerage: There are many real estate brokerages today that have a virtual office. You’ll meet with clients over the phone or in public places.
• Learn More Here: If you still want more advice on how to find a real estate brokerage to work for, check out this blog.

Some of the best skills you can have as a real estate agent in North Carolina include:

• Communication & Negotiation Skills: Good communication is imperative as a real estate salesperson. Learn great oral communication skills and negotiation strategies through this non-credit professional development course.
• Market Insight: It’s important to stay up-to-date with industry changes in real estate. You can stay ahead of the competition by investing in professional development courses.
• Tech Savviness: Learning how to be tech-savvy is important to communicating with your clients and marketing your business well.
• Networking: Real estate is a career for social butterflies! Make sure to get out there and attend social events to network.